(UK) A TRADITIONAL Royal Navy toast to officers' wives and girlfriends has been axed

[The Straight Story]

A TRADITIONAL Royal Navy toast to officers' wives and girlfriends has been axed - 23 years after women were allowed to serve at sea.

From tonight, officers will no longer say the established Saturday night toast of "Our Wives and Sweethearts" which prompts which prompts the unofficial reply of "May they never meet!"

Instead, officers will say "Our Families", in accordance with an instruction from Second Sea Lord Vice-Admiral David Steel in a bid to reflect the changing gender balance of the Senior Service.

The traditional Tuesday night toast to "Our Men" has been changed to "Our Sailors".

A spokesman for the MoD said: "To reflect cultural changes and our modern and inclusive Navy, two of the Naval Toasts, used at mess dinners, have been updated.

"The Royal Navy values the diversity and range of its personnel and it is only right that its traditional toasts should reflect the fact that women have been at sea for over 20 years."

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/409497/Navy-bosses-axe-wives-and-sweethearts-toast-to-reflect-changing-gender-balance

[Berlum]

1. A snappy salute to the de-oinkifiers

Glad to see the Brits rejecting piggish Republican "Values," Brit-Navy Style

[telclaven]

2. Dumbass is dumbass

And this is dumbass. Centuries of (war winning) traditions tossed out the hatch so no one is "offended or hurt" by a toast made in good fun.

This is what makes efforts to normalize and equalize women and men in the workplace so hard. Shit like this that makes me want to raise back on my hind leg and piss on the furniture.

[DreamGypsy]

3. The toast could have been changed to "Spouses and sweethearts ..."

Hmm, maybe that could be construed as an implication that women, gays, domestic partners, etc. are just as entitled to infidelity and promiscuity as the members of the old (and young) boys' club.



(btw. the Express needs to get a proofreader get a proofreader)